Collapsible mast



. y 1927- H. PRICE COLLAPSIBLB MAST Filed May 9, 1925 Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED srA res HAROLDTRICE, OF MONCT ON,.-NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA. 7

V .COLLAPSIBLE M sr. j

Application filed May 9, 1 925. ScriaiiIo. 23,105.

i This invention relatesto improvements in collapsible masts and more particularly adapted to radio aerial supports and the objects of the invention are to provide a foldable or collapsible mast designed to form in erected position a rigid support with rigid joints and, when not erected, adapted to fold up or collapse and thus be more readlly and conveniently transported. In the example of my invention described and illustrated in the present specification it is shown as a radio aerial support.

Further advantages, in addition tobeing collapsible and rigid when erected, are its V.

flOlIltCOnDQCtlOIl between the trusses, as more light weight, its adaptability for demonstra tion purposes in connection with radlo, particularly in camps and for motorists.

Furthermore the aerial wire can be attached to the mast before it is hoisted thus saving the use of ladders and climbing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, hereinaftermore fully referred to, the

invention consists essentially of a plurality of sections hingedly connected to one another and adapted when erected to be retained in rigid position, the sections being provided with trusses adapted to be tensioned and so retained to hold the sections rigidly when erected.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference indicate 'corre-,

sponding parts in each figure,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mast in erected position fastened to a post in the ground,

Figure 2 is a side elevation. of the mast in folded position detached from the ground post,

Figure 3 is a front view of one of the sections showing the trusses provided with turn buckles,

Figure 4: is. a detail of the joint between the sections,

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing the means for retaining the joint between sections rigid when erected,

Figure 6 is a detail of the cross strip through which the truss rods pass, and

Figure 7 is a detail of the end cross strips through which the truss rods pass.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the mast or, as illustrated, radio aerial support is shown in erected form in Figure 1 and comprises a plurality of sections 10, each section being tipped at the ends with suitable plates 11 fixedly secured thereto. These plates serve't-he double purpose 'ofcforming, as hereinafter more fully described, hinged jointsfor the sections and also for retaining the ends 12'of truss rods 60 13 carried by the sections and designed to stiffen them in erected position.

These truss rods are adapted to be tensioned as required and forthis'purpose are provided with turn buckles 14 while inter- 55 mediate of their ends are designed to pass through cross bars 15 and 16 provided with suitable orifices 17.

A feature of my invention is the hinged particularly illustrated in Figure 4. This is provided for by means of the tipped ends 11, each forming part of the joint so that when the corresponding plate or tip is placed within the other, it is pivotally connected thereto by means of a bolt 18 extending through the orifices in said plates, thus completing the hinged joints.

To retain the hinged points rigidly when the mast is erected, I provide a pin 20, as

illustrated in Figure 5, adapted to be inserted in the orifices 21 in the plates 11 and bent so that the portion 21 will overlap and engage with the inside of the plate 11, thus preventing it from becoming disen gaged and at the same time converting the hinged joint into a rigid joint. This combined with the rigidity imparted to the rod by the tens'ioning trusses 13 is a very important feature of my device.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the mast or support is preferably connected at the bottom to a post or the like 22, sunk in the ground, by means of a bolt 23 provided with a securing nut 24, the top section of the mastbeing provided with, a hook 25 to which isconnected a pulley 26 over which travels the cable 27 in turn connected to a radio aerial 28, the other end of the cable being wound around a suitable retaining member 29 on the post 22 thus enablingthe radio aerial to be tensioned or slackened at will and retained in either position.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claims, constructed, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained, in the accompanying specification and claims shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

WVhat I claim as my invention is;

1. A mast or support comprising a plurality of sections, provided with end plates having orifices therein, adapted to-engage with one another and pivotal meansthrough said orifices whereby the sections'are hingedly connected, means for rigidly retaining the sections when built up, a plurality of truss rods rigidly connected at each end to said plates, intermediate bracket means for spacing said truss rods and means integral with the truss rods for tensioning them.

2. A mast or the like comprising a plurality of sections provided at each end with orificed plates, pivotal bolt means through the orifices on one side ofsaid plate adapted to form a hinged joint between the sections and pin means on the other side of the section adapted to extend across and engage with the opposite side of the section to retain the section in built up position, truss rods for the sections designed vto engage at each end with the oriticcd plates and means for xtensioning the truss rods intermediate of said ends.

in witness whereof I have. hereunto set my hand.

HAROLD PRICE. 

